Ruffle press



M. FLOREA RUFFLE PRESS Aug. 29, 1939.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1v Filed Feb. 19, 1937 INVENTOR.

M W/ AT ORNEYS.

Aug. 29, 1939. M. FLoREA 2,171,356 1 RUFFLE PRESS l' Filed Feb. 19, 19573 Sheets- Sheel'I 2 @mw/7M IN VEN TOR.

TORNEYS.

Aug. 29, 1939. M. FLoRl-:A- 2,171,356

yRUFFLE PRESS Filed Feb. '19, 19:57 3 sheetssheet s www@ EN TOR.

'l %`ORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE `R'UFFLE PRESSApplication February 19, 1937, Serial No.`126,661

2- Claims.

My invention relates to presses for laundry Work and more especially topresses for Work on rufliesto make them look natural after they havebeen washed in a laundryand dried; an object being'in my press toprovide a means for pressing curtain ruflies andthe like where it isdesired to put such rufllesinthe most natural and beautiful shapeafterthe curtains have been cleaned and stretched.

A further purpose of myfpress is to provide an effective .means ofmechanically pressing curtain ruliles Aand other ruilies withoutpressing them by hand andwithout running the curtain -anol the likethrough a process vthat would be hard on the curtain.

A particular purpose of my rufe press is toprovideamachine by which thecurtain ruille or other ruflle maybe pressed carefully and quickly andthe operation not require anything of unusual skill in doing it and bywhich much time may be saved in doing such work.

I attain `the objects of my machine by the press set forth in-theannexed speciiication, recited in the claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings `in Which vlike reference numerals indicate likeparts. in the Aseveral drawings. Y

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. .1 is a perspective of my ruffle press wherein the molds shownareto be used in the pressing of a curtain ruffle.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View of my press` showing a curtain rufllebeing held in place by the press while the Apress `fingers areoperating.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. `2 wherein there isshown Ian additional control of the .press fingers.

Fig. 4 is anend view of my ruliie press when the press fingers are.-lifted and 'the machine is not in operation.

Fig. Y5 is a lperspective of one of the ruflies formed by my press.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a larger rufe formed by larger molds thanwould be used for the ruffle shown in Fig.r 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of some V shaped ruies which will be used insome situations and which would require a suitable form of mold andpressing finger operating in connection with my press, such as is shownin Figure 1l.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a group of knife pleats for ruilles adaptedto be formed by still a diiierent form of mold and pressing iinger (seeFig. 12) operating in connection with my machine.

Fig. 9 is a rear view of myrule press disclosing details of themechanical structure thereof.

Fig. 10 isa perspective of one of the pressing iingers used for formingthe ruliles shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a detail of one of the pressing iingers illustrated forpressing one of the V shaped ruiiles as shown iin Fig."7.

Fig. 12 is a detail of a pressing finger adapted to be used on mydevicefor pressing knife pleats as shown in Fig. 8.

Referringin more detail to the preferred construction of my ruffle pressand to its operation, Ihave developed apractical and economical devicewherein I provide a series of uniformly spaced molds I set atdesiredspaces apart and heated by any suitable heat medium, which in this caseI have chosen to be an electric heating coil 2 to avoid'too muchmachinery to be handled.

These molds may be made of any desired design and placedcloser togetheror farther apart as the need may require on different ruliles ofdifferent design.

However, in the drawings` the `molds aredesigned as shown for curtainruliles and are relatively larger than a-moldfor a small ruiiie wouldbe.

VIn the operation of my press therefore as a curtain ruffle press inthis instance, I `provide a series of molds vI aligned either in astraight line along a shelf -2 as shown in Fig. l or in a curved line orother desired arrangement of molds.

The operator places ythe curtain ruie 3 for instance on 'the press, asshown in Fig. l (the curtain ruffle only is shown in this iigure), withthe ruie spreadout over `the `molds I as shown so that the Vbindingedged will lay snugly up close to the molds on'shel'f 2.

He then pushes down on `foot pedal V5 to pivotally swing the topportionl over 'into operative position over Ythe ruffle mold `I so thatbar 'I will hold binding edge 4 tightlydown.

While bar 'I is holding binding edge 4 of the curtain in place so thatthe curtain rutile 3 may be pressed then the linger presses 8 which arearranged in parallel spaced relation are at the same time lowered inbetween the molds to press the curtain ruffle 3 between molds I; thusthese fingers hold the curtain ruffle snugly down over the molds.

Thus When the top portion 6 is pivotally moved down to permit fingers 8to press down on ruie 3 and when the heat is applied to the molds and tothe fingers 8 the curtain rufe 3 will be heated and pressed into theform desired for it.

In the meantime after lingers 8 will let down upon the ruffle the freeend of the fingers may be forcefully but carefully placed harder againstruiiie 3 by the operator merely by pushing on handle lever I I in orderto pivotally swing fingers 8 down more snugly against the rullie. Thismovement forces the free end I2 of nger 8 more firmly against thatportion of the ruffle lying between molds I.

On the other hand when it is desired to move the entire linger downagainst the ruflie as is shown at numeral I3 in Fig. 3 this movement maybe made in the iingers by iirst pushing in on handle I4 as indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 3 to release the pressure on bolt I5 and permitsupporting bar I8 to slidably move down with its pivotal pin I'I in slotI8. After pushing in on member I4 releasing the pressure of lug I9 frombolt I5 the operator pushes on lever `II to force the entire group offingers 8 down into the position shown in Fig. 3.

When moving the fingers back in place again springs 28 and 2| will aidin the movement of lingers 8 to put them back into place.

Fig. 2 shows lingers 8 in operative position before bar I4 is pushed in.

It will be noted that top portion 6 includes the electric heating coils,the frame 22, link 23, bar I4, the heater casing 9 and the pressingiingers 8; while this upper portion is supported in its operativeposition by brackets 24 and 25 pivotally secured to rod 26 and iscontrolled by foot pedal 5 in its pivotal operation which is adapted tomake the adjustment in link 21 and crank arm 28 secured to rod 26 whileall this is supported on frame 29 mounted upon a table 3D supported bybrackets 3 I.

It will be observed that handle I I for the upper portion 6 of my presshas a pivotal support bar 3| while bolts 32 are adapted to hold bar I4in proper alignment in their guiding slots 33 for the adjustment ofpressing fingers 8.

Springs 34 are adapted to lift pedal 5 when pressure is releasedtherefrom as Well as to pivotally move the upper portion 6 back up outof the way as shown in Fig. 1 following the pressing operation.

The heating coils II) in casing 9 are connected with a source ofelectric energy through a wire 35. Molds I also have heat coilsconnected through wire 35 with a source of electric energy therefor.

While I would not wish to be limited in this invention to theconstruction of pressing fingers illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 forthe formation of ruilles shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 respectively yetthese drawings will suitably illustrate a form of pressing fingers ineach case that will accomplish the purpose desired.

It will be obvious to the experienced operator of pressing machines in alaundry that within the scope of my invention it will not be necessaryto be limited in the form of ruflle to be pressed thereby; since it isevident that any one of a number of forms of mold can be used as well asany desired pressing fingers on my machine.

I do not choose to be limited to the specific construction of ruiliepress disclosed in this speciiication for the reason that it is evidentthat certain minor changes may be desired in the form of the pressingfingers or the form of the molds without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and the method ofoperating the same, what I claim is:

1. A rullle press comprising a machine frame, a plurality of pressingmolds arranged in alignment in parallel spaced relation, a plurality ofpressing fingers pivotally supported and pivotally adjusted and a handlever for making said adjustments; said pressing fingers adapted to beoperatively moved into the space between said molds, means for heatingsaid pressing molds and said pressing lingers and foot control levermeans for moving said pressing fingers into operative position, amarginal clamp for holding a curtain and the like along the edge of saidmolds when the rufles thereof are being pressed and a shelf in front ofsaid molds for supporting the adjacent portions of a curtain and thelike while the ruffle thereof is being pressed.

2. As a new article of manufacture a ruille press for pressing curtainruliies and the like and comprising a press frame, a shelf thereon, aplurality of pressing molds arranged in spaced relation adjacent saidshelf and means for heating said molds, a foot control lever, bracketsand a plurality of pressing fingers operatively and pivotally supportedthereby, said foot control lever for optionally moving said pressingfingers into operative position between said pressing molds for formingsaid ruilies into predetermined shapes of pleats, a hand leveroperatively and controllably connected with said pressing fingers forthe adjustment and manipulation thereof after they have been moved intoa position adjacent their operative position between said molds by saidfoot lever, a marginal clamp operatively mounted with said pressingfingers and adapted to be moved into operative position by said footlever for holding a curtain and the like while the ruifles thereof arebeing pressed, electric coil means operatively connected with saidpressing lingers for heating the same, a lever for manipulating saidpressing fingers pivotally and means for optionally adjusting theposition of said 1ingers and spring means connected with said foot leverand said hand lever for automatically retracting said pressing fingersand their mounting when released by the foot on said foot lever or byhand by said hand lever.

MANUEL FLOREA.

